A Review of Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand

Categories: Cyrano de Bergerac Edmond Rostand Roxane

Review, Pages 3 (720 words)

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The conclusion of Cyrano de Bergerac was a very good ending. Cyrano had been wounded in battle by a log that had been thrown out a window and hit hi in the head. He was very weak and on deaths door, but he still makes his weekly visit to Roxane. The beginning of the conclusion starts as Cyrano approaches, supporting himself with a cane. Although his hat conceals his face, it is obvious that he is pale and weak. Roxane, however, is so absorbed in her work on a tapestry that she does not turn to greet Cyrano.

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Instead, she scolds him for being late. He responds by saying that he had a visitor, whom he sent away in order to come and visit her. Sister Marthe, one of the nuns whom Cyrano usually teases, passes by. Cyrano, trying to act normally, calls to her. She is startled by his sick appearance and wants to bring him some soup. Cyrano is not worried about himself, but he warns the nun not to alarm Roxane about him.

He then askes the nun to pray for him. He also states that he will never see Roxane's tapestry finished. For a while, Cyrano rattles off the mundane daily events to Roxane, but he soon faints from exhaustion.

Roxane rushes to him. When he regains consciousness, he pretends it is an effect of a wound he received at Arras, many years ago. Roxane says she was also wounded in Arras and points to the farewell letter over her heart.

Cyrano asks to see the letter, which he recites fluently and beautifully in a voice like the one he had used under Roxane's window. Since it is obvious that Cyrano is not really reading the words, but knows them by heart, she realizes that he is the one who had written the letters on Christian's behalf. She now knows that she has really loved Cyrano, not Christian. When Roxane confronts Cyrano about this, he denies it. Before she can discuss it further, Le Bret and Raqueneau enter. They blurt out that Cyrano will kill himself by exertion. Roxane now understands his faintness and demands to know what has happened. Cyrano explains the attack on him and shows her his bandages. He bemoans the irony of fate, which has prevented him from dying a noble death from a sword. He adds that both his life and death have been failures. Roxane states that she is sorry that she is the cause of his unhappiness.

Cyrano, however, assures her that he is grateful for her friendship. Cyrano turns to Ragueneau to talk about literature. Ragueneau accuses Moli re of plagiarizing a scene from Cyrano's writing. Cyrano does not seem to mind. He says that he has always provided words and ideas for others. It is an obvious reference to what he did for Christian. Knowing that his death is approaching, Cyrano compares his love for Roxane to the love between the beauty and the beast. He then asks Roxane to mourn for him as she had for Christian. He finally stands up, sword in hand, to face his end nobly. He dies, proud of the integrity he has shown in life.

I thought it was a great ending. It tied up all the loose ends and was very interesting, and at some points funny. Cyrano was very sick, and with the little strength he has left, he visits Roxane one last time. To die in her company. At first I was disappointed with the ending because he said that he could never tell her that he was the one who wrote the letters now that her husband had died. I thought he was going to die without her ever knowing, but the she figures out that it was him and he finally got what he always wanted. Funny points in the conclusion include: the fact that he was hurt by a log falling on his head and not a sword fight. And when he is trying very hard not to let Roxane know he is dieing and then Le Bret and Ragueneau burst in and blurt out that he is injured. You can tell he was annoyed by this. I felt the conclusion of Cyrano de Bergerac was very good and really topped off this great play.